You just graduated from college — congratulations, by the way! — and you’re about to start your first professional job. The job requires a cross-country move, and many decisions need to be made about the relocation process. Should you move your bedroom furniture, the only furniture you’ve ever owned in your college apartment? If you decide to take it with you, how should you ship your college bedroom set?
To Transport or Not to Transport?
Moving furniture can be costly, but buying all new furniture is much more expensive. Since you’re starting out and may have student loans to pay, consider moving your old bedroom furniture to your new home. You need a few basic items so you don’t have to camp on your floor in a sleeping bag amid piles of clothing. Once you’re settled and you’ve saved some money, you might want to start looking for a new bedroom set, but in the meantime, think about how to move the furniture you already own.
At a minimum, you need the following bedroom furniture in your new place:
Bed frame
Mattress
Dresser (horizontal) or chest (vertical)
Nightstand
Don’t pay to move items that you can’t or won’t use. If some of your furniture items are very old or in bad shape, and might not even survive the move, consider discarding, selling or donating these items. In this case, it makes more sense to dispose of your old furniture and buy new — or used — items when you get to your new home.
What Do Weight and Space Have to Do With It?
The cost to transport furniture is based on the total weight and size of the shipment. Why? The larger and heavier the shipment, the bigger the truck must be — and a larger truck consumes more gas and requires more in tolls, which increases the cost of your move.
How do you know how much your furniture weighs? You can hardly weigh your bedroom set on your bathroom scale. Use our shipping weight calculator to estimate the weight of the items you’re moving more than 100 miles away, so you can get an accurate price quote.
Does size really matter? Yes, and for the same reasons that weight matters. Each size truck accommodates a certain amount of furnishings; therefore, a mover needs to know how much room (or cubic feet of space) your furniture requires. Movers can give you a quote by estimating the cubic feet of your items based on the inventory list you submit. You want to maximize your allotted space to avoid paying for a larger truck than you need. Here’s a tip: Reduce the amount of space your items take by packing smaller items inside larger ones.
How to Ship a Bedroom Set
Moving large, heavy bedroom furniture is challenging. Here are a few tips to help make your move easier:
Inspect Your Furniture Before the Move
Make a list of each item you’re shipping, noting existing damage and scuff marks. You should also photograph each item so that you can compare the condition before and after the move.
Protect Mattresses and Box Springs
Special mattress bags and boxes are available in various sizes. Wrapping your mattress carefully prevents damage from exposure to dirt, dust and insects during the move. Seal the boxes with heavy-duty packaging tape.
Disassemble Bed Frames and Headboards
Take apart your frame and headboard, wrap them carefully in moving blankets to prevent surface damage and dents, and then pack them in a box. Fill any remaining space in the box with Styrofoam or bubble wrap to prevent damage caused by movement in transit.
Dressers and Nightstands
Start by securing the drawers with tape so they don’t open during the move. Be sure to use tape that will not leave adhesive residue on your furniture. Wrap dressers and night tables in heavy moving blankets and other protective packing materials.
Hardware
Easy access to the screws and bolts removed during packing allows you to re-assemble your furniture quickly when it arrives at your new home. Place the hardware you removed from each item in separate plastic bags labeled with the contents, and put all the bags in the same box.
Small Move and Freight Shipping With Transit Systems, Inc.
We offer several shipping options so you can choose the one that best meets your specific needs.
Affordable long-distance small moves. Transit Systems, Inc. (TSI) specializes in small moves and less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments — perfect for shipping your college bedroom furniture across the country. Choose between our inside packing, pickup and delivery White Glove Service option, or select our more economical Economy Service option, in which you pack your items and help load and unload the truck at curbside.
Regardless of which option you choose, we charge for small moves by weight, which makes us more affordable than other companies. When you have a small load — like a single room or a few items of furniture — your items don’t occupy an entire truck. When companies charge by the cubic foot, you may be paying for space you don’t use.
Low-cost freight shipping service. If you are willing and able to box or crate your furniture, we can ship your items at low-cost freight rates. We handle the paperwork and details for you — all you need to do is determine the weight of the items you wish to ship. Rates are based on the weight of your crates and the distance of your shipment.
Make TSI Your Small Moving Company
Transit Systems, Inc. is an industry-leading small moving company, specializing in helping customers make small moves nationwide. We’ve been named to the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest growing private companies three times. Plus, we are an Approved Vendor to The UPS Store® centers for shipping freight and larger items and loads.
Unlike most other small load movers, we are not limited when it comes to coverage and service. We move nationwide and we move fast! Whether you need to ship furniture, boxes or other large household items, you can count on TSI for excellent service at an affordable price.